It has been a little over 14 months since Enzo Fernandez made his Premier League debut for Chelsea in a goalless draw against neighbours Fulham on 3 February 2023.

Now in his first full season with the Blues, the midfielder has been a near ever-present for fellow Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino, with only Conor Gallagher and Axel Disasi making more league appearances for the club than Enzo in 2023/24.

However, the 23-year-old insists that the Chelsea supporters are yet to see his true ability, as he continues to work towards replicating the performances which saw him named by FIFA as the tournament’s best young player as he won the 2022 World Cup, shortly before coming to west London.

‘I’m trying to get there, to the version of me that you saw at the World Cup,’ he explains. ‘I want to feel like that Enzo, that was playing at the World Cup. I want to get back there.

‘I feel good, getting better each day, but I still don’t feel like I’m at 100 per cent. I’m still adapting and still don’t feel entirely myself, but I’m trying to get there as quickly as possible and working hard every day in order to do so.

‘It won’t be easy because the World Cup has been and gone, and I’m still growing as a player and developing my skills, but I’m looking for that Enzo. I want to feel completely myself again.’

Looking at the reasons behind that, he believes a period of adaptation to English football and the Premier League has played a part, unsurprisingly for a young player who had just five months’ experience of competing in Europe – with Benfica in Portugal – prior to his move to the Blues.

However, so much has he fallen in love with the league and life at Chelsea, the work of adapting to his new surroundings will be well worth it when he returns to his best.

‘In my opinion the Premier League is the best league in the world. It is so dynamic with so many quality players. I think it’s the best. I always saw the Premier League on television. The intensity, the atmosphere, it was different.

‘Now that I’m actually experiencing it, it’s incredible. The first six months were difficult for me. I found it hard to adapt but now I feel so much more prepared than at the start. But I’m enjoying it so much.

‘Maybe personally I’m still not 100 per cent and don’t feel like I’ve shown my potential, but beyond that I love being at a club as big as Chelsea, enjoying the Premier League every weekend with the fans that are so passionate. I love being here.’

It is the same story with the team and the club as a whole. Like his personal form, he knows Chelsea’s performances have not been at the level he and his team-mates want so far this season, but has no doubts that everyone involved is pushing hard to change that as soon as possible.

‘We’re all united as a group, pulling in the same direction and trying to learn. We are a young group, a new team, and so it was always going to be hard to find consistency in this first season. We are all trying to do our best, every one of us.

‘We can still win a trophy this season. We’re in the semi-final of the FA Cup against Manchester City and we believe in this group and the coaching staff and everything they bring to every training session and every game.’